With the expansion of telecommunication and computer technology, increasing amounts of electronic equipment are required at various commercial and business facilities. To facilitate interconnection and access to such equipment, it is typically installed in a common enclosure. Further, technological advancements are permitting more and more electronic equipment to be fit into increasingly smaller spaces. These forces are combining to produce relatively dense electronic installations that generate increasing amounts of heat. For such equipment to operate properly, it is necessary to provide a relatively stable and comfortable temperature and humidity. This has typically been accomplished through the use of air conditioning for the enclosures housing the equipment.
Air conditioners used to perform such cooling typically rely on compression and expansion of a working fluid to absorb heat from the area to be cooled and reject this heat into another environment. In addition to being a relatively costly component, the compressors required are typically electrically powered, which results in significant energy consumption. Additionally, the compressors are typically somewhat noisy, which is disadvantageous because the systems used to cool electronic enclosures are frequently located in areas that are occupied on a continual basis. Noise is therefore disrupting to the occupants. Another disadvantage of compressor-based systems is that the compressors and primemovers therefor, electrical or otherwise, are mechanical components that are subject to mechanical failure, which results in downtime of the equipment.
The present invention is directed to solving the problems associated with the compressor-based air-conditioning systems of the prior art. The cooling system of the present invention is based on a thermosyphon, which accomplishes heat transfer using the latent heat of vaporization of a working fluid. Thermosyphons do not require compressors, or any other moving part, in the cooling circuit, and are therefore more reliable, consume less energy, and are better suited to use in inhabited areas than their compressor-based counterparts.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a thermosyphon-based cooling system that dispenses with the need for compressors and other moving parts in the cooling circuit. Another object of the present invention is to provide a low cost air-to-air heat exchanger. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger with increased efficiency over prior art designs. Still another object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger coil design that is simpler and less costly to manufacture than prior art designs.